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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26247625">The Bat that Blessed Benton</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberpunkknittingmachine/pseuds/cyberpunkknittingmachine'>cyberpunkknittingmachine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carleton College - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Based on a True Story, Carleton College, Character Study, Gen, Origin Story, Positive Bat Representation, historical fiction - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:33:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>843</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26247625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberpunkknittingmachine/pseuds/cyberpunkknittingmachine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One night a bat found its way to Benton house, and befriended some ducks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Bat (Carleton College) &amp; Rubber Duck Army (Carleton College)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Bat that Blessed Benton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BentonLounge/gifts">BentonLounge</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>please support your local bats &lt;3 it's what crane god would want</p><p>#savebatsnotmosquitoes</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Back in the distant past, back when faces were bare and the floors still covered with fluffy friends, the rubber duck army of Benton House were watching over their domain. It was in the before times, back when Crane was God and the memes were always fresh. The ducks themselves saw these things coming, just as they foresaw the Box, and the great reopening of the Box. On that spring or maybe winter night, the ducks were watching something happening in the lounge. It may have been 2am, possibly 3. The ducks had little sense of time in the empty dark hallways, with only the red light of the exit sign above casting light on the stairs. That is to say, it was certainly late enough that the house had fallen quiet.</p><p>The big people (who were the minions of the Rubber Duck Army, servants of Crane, hallowed be their name) had disappeared into their nighttime boxes to sleep or play video games or read fanfiction. Mostly to sleep, as the hour had grown later and was growing later.</p><p>The duck army stared forward into the house and said nothing, for they were ducks, and made of plastic. Despite their silence, there WAS a somewhat unusual noise coming from the curtains.</p><p>“It’s a bat!” screamed a big person standing in the doorway that led to the Box Room.</p><p>“Why yes,” thought the ducks, or they would have thought, if they had been sentient. “It does seem to be a bat.”</p><p>“I should call security,” said the big person, “And pray to Crane that they save us from this creature.”</p><p>“That is a good idea,” theoretically thought the ducks. “For it is not good for bats to be in houses, and bats who behave oddly could be sick and in need of help. I feel great sympathy for this bat, who kills so many of the evil mosquitoes which infest these lands when the warm times come.”</p><p>Soon, the big people were ushered out of the house. It was still late at night nighttime, but the big people were in faraway boxes, without the things that brought them comfort. The ducks waited, but the big people did not return, as the bat waited in the curtains to be rescued from the house.</p><p>“Oh no,” thought the ducks.</p><p>“What a shame,” thought the ducks.</p><p>“Could not the big people have remained in their own boxes and stayed away from the room with our poor friend the bat?” lamented the ducks, “Now they will think all bats are mean and sick and bad. Bats don’t really fly in people’s hair! And the only reason there are many cases of rabies from bats is because there are so many of them, and they aren’t as limited in their range. Also, there’s no education about bats, and people don’t know how to interact with them. While bats don’t attack like other rabid animals, they do behave oddly or look sick, which makes sympathetic big people pick them up. Now the big people will stop focusing on the cool parts of bats, like their environmental importance. Don’t big people like mangoes or bananas or the over three hundred species of fruit that depend on bats for pollination? Don’t big people hate mosquitoes? It’s especially a shame in this state, where so many bats are suffering from White-Nose Syndrome, a fungus which prematurely wakes bats up from hibernation and causes them to die. We wish more people knew about bats.”</p><p>“That’s very kind,” thought the bat, who while not anthropomorphic certainly had feelings and should be treated with respect. “I can’t wait to be freed from this house, but I’m glad I could meet good friends like you who understand the tough life of a bat. I bet most people don’t know possessing, killing, or injuring bats or disturbing bat habitat is illegal! In fact, you need to get a professional to remove a roost from your home to ensure bats aren’t prevented from being with their young. Baby bats are super important because bats can only give birth to one pup a year, which just goes to show bats really aren’t the ‘rats of the sky.’”</p><p>“The more you know,” thought the ducks. “We just multiply magically due to the deal we made with the devil.”</p><p>“Huh,” thought the bat. “I don’t believe in God.”</p><p>“You would if you met Crane,” thought the ducks.</p><p>“Good point,” thought the bat. “Unfortunately, I probably won’t find any good places to live at Carleton College. While there is a beautiful arboretum full of trees I can live in, I wish there was a lovely bat house set aside for me. It would really show that Carleton cares.”</p><p>“It could even have a little sign, educating the big people on bat facts and safety,” thought the ducks.</p><p>“That would be nice, but I don’t think it’ll ever happen,” thought the bat sadly.</p><p>And it still hasn’t.</p><p>It’s up to you to educate Carleton students about bats. Only you can stop negative bat propaganda.</p>
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